


Nightmares and Death Scares

by vanessa_singer



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Cuddles, Felt like writing and here I am, Fluff, Hot Chocolate, Lots of cuddles, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Shirtless Steve, idk - Freeform, shirtless bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-23 00:14:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7459081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanessa_singer/pseuds/vanessa_singer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is awake.  Again.</p><p>Bucky is having nightmares.  Again.</p><p>Maybe this time he won't suffer alone like he usually does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmares and Death Scares

Bucky is awake. Again.

Bucky is having nightmares. Again.

The usual screams of victims or scenes of torture do not plague him tonight.  No, Bucky is experiencing terror much worst, figments of his imagination that repeat the same metal fist pounding into the face of an angel, the one that won't stop following him no matter what happens.  Plush lips are spattered with blood, blue eyes alight with fire, and Steve Rogers does not back down, does not fight back.  He sees tactical gear strapped to his chest, the overlapping layers of black straps and buckles binding their hold into him, reminding him to obey, to  _kill_ , no matter what the circumstances.

And that's what terrifies him the most.  The fact that their programming runs so deep that Bucky can't even save his best friend.  Even though the Winter Soldier refuses to stop, Bucky is still there, screaming for him to listen, pleading for the assassin to display mercy on some level, hoping for the survival of the man on the bridge.

Bucky doesn't understand why he doesn't stop, why even though he is screaming for mercy, the Soldier plows on.  He watches as Steve coughs up more blood, some of it streaming out of his nose, and Bucky feels his chest constrict when he realizes that he's going to kill Steve, and there's nothing he can do except witness as Steve starts to wheeze, tries to reason with him and bring him back but failing to do so.

Finally, those words are what cause him to tear out of the ordeal playing out before him.

"I'm with you 'til the end of the line."

Jerking awake, Bucky wrestles his way out of the sheets knotted around his legs, frantically searching for the light switch so he can observe his hands, his surroundings.  Gone is the bloody face of his friend, though the nagging feeling of guilt consumes him, making his chest constrict.  Instead of having various weapons strapped to him, his chest is bare and heaving while his legs are clad in a pair of Steve's sweatpants that he had never given back.

His room is illuminated by the dull lamp, and he sees no helicarrier above him, nor water below.  His hands are shaking but void of blood or guns, his mind racing to make sense of anything, grasping for anything he hold onto.

Steve.

Steve had been in that dream too, and Bucky had _hurt_ him, had let him slip through his fingers.  Even though he is down the hall, away from Bucky, he can't shake off the feeling that he isn't there to protect him, that something could happen and he wouldn't be there to help.  

Shakily making his way to his room, Bucky nearly barrels into the door in his rush to find the other man.  He flicks the switch on the wall next to him, flooding the room in light bright enough to make Steve cringe, pulling the blanket over his head in an attempt to hide from the brightness.

"Steve?"

Bucky hears Steve start to stir, questioning the shakiness and terror in the voice.  However, in his state of mind he fails to recognize that Steve's okay.

"Please, wake up, please please _please wake up!_ "

Oh no. No no no no no no no Steve has to wake up he can't lose him _not again_

Rushing to his side, Bucky reaches out and tugs at Steve's bent elbow, the one that pokes out from the sheets and is crooked over his head.  Suddenly he feels it follow his movement, the joint tucking under the blanket and Steve's head pops out, scanning over Bucky's sweat drenched face with alarm.  Bucky tears off the sheet covering him as he grips one side of his head in one hand while the other presses over his heart, taking note of the slightly unsteady cadence thumping into his palm, his other thumb pressed under Steve's jaw.  Steve stays very still, measuring Bucky's state of mind and whether he should touch him.

"Buck?  Buck, I need you to tell me where you are.  Green, yellow, or red?"

Bucky's heart rate has slowed somewhat, and it takes him a minute to register what Steve is saying.  He sees a red flush, lips moving, and realizes that Steve had spoken, and he quickly withdraws his hands.  Worried that he'd done something wrong, he immediately starts apologizing.   

Steve sits up and gives Bucky a gentle smile.  "Hey, hey, Buck, _breathe_.  It's okay, I'm right here, there's no need to apologize."  Steve slowly brings his hands up and brushes through his damp hair, pushing it out of his eyes.

Bucky does as he's told, shutting his mouth in an almost comical manner as he takes a deep breath through his nose.  His eyes are darting all over Steve's face, searching for a cut, a bruise, _anything_ to hint that Steve had been harmed.  Large, warm hands cover each side of his face, muffling any noise other than his own breathing, while thumbs stroke under his eyes.  "I'm right here," Steve repeats, bringing his face forward and pressing right up against him, his chest flush against Bucky's.  The brunet finally can breathe when he hears Steve, feels him slide his body right against his, hearts beating in tandem with each other.

"Me too...I'm here too.  I'm-uh-green, I-I mean, I'm feeling-no, I-"

Steve chuckles, effectively cutting him off before he hurt himself trying to explain.  Bucky finds it in his mind to bring his hands to gently settle on Steve's hips, sliding them up his sides and stroking up and down.  "Okay, that's good.  Do you wanna stay?"  The blond brushes his lips across Bucky's, and when he feels a sigh escape the other man, presses more insistently.  Bucky parts his lips, swallowing down the relieved noise that Steve makes when he feels Bucky go pliant under his mouth.  Steve's hands wrap themselves in Bucky's hair, tugging him down as he lies on his back, bringing Bucky down with him, still locking lips.  

"Yeah, I'll stay, just don't hog the blanket."  Bucky pulls the comforter over both of them snuggling further into Steve's embrace as he searches for his mouth with his own.  When Steve finally stops giggling at Bucky's remark, he slips his lips over his lover's, wrapping his arms tightly around him and trapping him to his chest.  After asking Jarvis to shut off the light, the pair lay there and quietly make out, letting the last slivers of panic wash away in the feeling of warm, safe bliss.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!!! So, I'm back. I know I've been gone a while, but was having some major writer's block. As usual, please feel free to comment or suggest prompts I could use, as well constructive criticism. Hopefully I'll be writing more soon and won't ditch you guys again :)  
> ~Vanessa Singer


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